Q&A with Brickyard 400 pace car driver Chris Pratt

I know him as Scott Hatteberg in "Moneyball." You probably know him as Andy Dwyer in "Parks and Recreaction." Many will soon know him as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in "Guardians of the Galaxy." His real name is Chris Pratt and he will drive the 2014 Chevrolet SS pace car later today prior to the green flag for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Beforehand, Pratt spoke about his budding acting career, the Oakland Athletics and the overall thrill of getting to be the honorary pace car driver at the historic Speedway.

Q: Are you pretty excited about this opportunity?

A: This is incredible. I already got to drive the car. The two times I've been to Indianapolis, the first time was for an episode of Parks and Rec to be shot, so I was down on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium playing catch with Andrew Luck on camera and hanging out with the Indianapolis Colts. Now, I am driving the pace car for the Brickyard 400. I want to come to Indianapolis as much as I can if I keep getting treated like this.

Q: We gave you a (Chevrolet) jacket, but you wanted ...

A: The car. (Pratt then claims Chevrolet has left keys for the media under their seats. Unfortunately, he was joking.) I feel like I got second place in the Showcase Showdown. I was expecting to drive off in an SS and all I got was a jacket. I like the jacket so thank you.

Q: What was the key question you asked today?

A: What happens if I don't come into pit road. I just take it and run. Let's go. I know the answer to that. It is, NASCAR will sign me immediately, seeing my skills as a driver. I heard Jeff Gordon is going to bump the back of my car to say hello. I am looking forward to talking to him in that way.

Q: This has been a big year for you with Parks and Rec, Guardians of the Galaxy and you are also working on Jurassic Park World. What has this past year been like for year with all that going on?

A: Becoming a part of the Marvel cinematic universe, that's a pretty big deal. Jurassic Park was one of my favorite movies growing up, so to be part of that is a really big deal to me. I've been Googling synonyms for surreal so I don't keep saying it over and over again. But it has been unreal and weird and phantasmagorical. So it's been pretty phantasmagorical.

Q: Do you see more of a Guardians of the Galaxy heroic Chris in the future?

A: I really do. We just officially announced that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 has a release date now. We'll be doing Peter Quill at least one more time, which is really exciting for me. It's a good chapter in what has been a great story for me since I was happy to audition for a Friskies cat (food) commercial all the way until now. I've been really excited to not be waiting tables. Peter Quill really kind of fits my personality.

Q: What's it mean for you to drive the pace car here at the Speedway?

A: I am really kind of a rookie to NASCAR. I've seen it on TV, but I've never been to a race. To hear the motors and the tires squealing, I expect to go home from this with a new appreciation.

Q: The Oakland Athletics have the best record in baseball. You had a role in Moneyball. Are you eager to see if the Moneyball plan can work out and win the A's a World Series?

A: I think it would be awesome if Billy Beane took home a ring. That's the big argument with the money ball, is you can win a lot of games. but when it comes to those high stakes pressure games, is it a system that is going to win or is it individual players who are just game-winning players, those big franchise players who are going to win the games? It's yet to be seen but I think if Billy Beane came home with the victory, that would make me feel pretty good and legitimize this money ball theory.

Q: Do you remember the first time you were recognized out on the street?

A: I was on a TV show called Everwood. I was in Utah and I was sitting at this diner. There were four pretty menacing-looking dudes looking at me and whispering to each other, looking at me, whispering to each other. I was like, man, these guys are about to mug me. This guy walks over to me and goes, "you're on Everwood, aren't you?"